Chapter 10
970 Words
Money only, no emotions.
So, she had to forget that flutter in her heart, forget those feelings. They had only a financial relationship.
"Take as much money as you need from the card."
The thin card felt scalding in her hand. She wanted to throw it away, but in the end, she gripped it tightly. She cast away her sense of shame and her pride. From today, she wasn't the thin-skinned Melina.
"Do you have someone you like?"
His sudden question caught her off guard. She nodded and smiled. "Yes, I do. I like him very much. Don’t worry, no matter who I like, I won't cheat on you."
His face darkened. He had only asked one question; why did she say so much? Noisy woman. "Don’t mess up the act when we get home."
Melina's heart skipped a beat. She was going to meet his family. Nervously, she took a deep breath and told herself, acting, good. No need to worry, she wasn’t really a hideous daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws. But why was her heart still pounding?
By the time they arrived at the Chambers family villa, Melina had calmed down. He didn't wait for her as he walked to the door, so she quickly followed and grabbed his hand.
"What are you doing?" He stopped, frowning at her with a cold, scary look and an annoyed voice as if her action had offended him.
With a look that said, "don't overthink it," Melina whispered, "Don’t misunderstand, we need to act like a real couple. We’re married now, so we should look like it, right?"
It was her first time holding his hand. His rough, dry palm was large and felt very secure. Her hand was soft and small, and it felt good in his palm. He seemed to agree and didn't shake her hand off, leading her forward. Hand in hand, anyone would see them as a loving couple, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match.
They rang the bell, and a round, chubby face appeared, wearing an apron, likely a servant. She seemed startled to see Melina but then recovered. “Young master, you’re back. Come in.”
The servant brought them slippers, and Melina and Adrian changed shoes and walked inside, seeing four people in the living room, all eyes on her. Unsure how to address them, she just smiled.
Adrian’s mother was the first to react, standing up and smiling, “Adrian’s back. Who’s this with you? Introduce her to us.”
Adrian gave Melina a look that said she should introduce herself. Melina widened her eyes at him. Was he serious? His family obviously didn't know he was married. How was she supposed to introduce herself? Should she say, "Hello, I'm Adrian's wife"?
That would be too shocking!
But the agreement said she couldn’t refuse his requests, and she had to fulfill her role as his wife. So she answered, “We just got our marriage certificate. We’re here to share the news.”
“What?”
“Married?”
“Today? How come we didn’t know?”
"Is that you, young lady?" The old Mr. Chambers recognized Melina from their previous encounter. She was the girl who helped him the other day.
“Hello, Grandpa.” Melina greeted politely.
The rest of the Chambers family was puzzled. “Dad, you know her?”
“This young lady is the one with the impressive shoe-throwing skills,” joked the old man, but then he turned serious, picking up his newspaper again. “You’re not pulling a fast one on me, right? I might be old, but I’m not senile.”
Adrian didn’t respond, his attitude cold as if these weren’t his family but enemies. He said to Melina, “Get acquainted with the family. I have work to do.”
With that, he walked away, leaving Melina in this unfamiliar environment. He really had no sense of responsibility, dumping everything on her. Who indulged him to have such a temper, Adrian?
The Chambers family erupted, first about the sudden marriage news, then about Melina being the brave girl from Grandpa’s story. This instantly warmed them to her. They couldn’t stop talking about her heroic deed, and Grandpa smiled approvingly at her. Even if it wasn’t real, she had to try and make it real. A person willing to help a stranger was surely kind-hearted.
Gradually, the topic shifted to their marriage, and the family began doubting its authenticity. It seemed hard for them to believe Adrian married so quickly. Their doubts were valid; their marriage was just a transaction. Of course, that secret was known only to Melina, Adrian, and the matchmaker.
When Melina presented the marriage certificate, they finally believed Adrian was really married.
Adrian’s mother, overjoyed, introduced Melina to the Chambers family members. Melina sweetly greeted them, “Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom.”
Grandpa Henry and Grandma Nancy beamed with joy, and Adrian’s parents were equally happy. Finally, Adrian’s marital status was settled.
Perhaps because of her previous encounter with Grandpa, the family liked her and didn’t reject this sudden new member. Grandpa, especially, seemed to treat her well. Adrian’s mother warmly held Melina’s hand and, with a smile, began her interrogation, “When did you and Adrian meet? Why haven’t we heard about you before?”
Melina’s mouth opened slightly; this was a tricky question. “Oh, well, Adrian and I met through a mutual friend. It was a modern arranged meeting. Adrian is exactly my type—mature and handsome. Though he’s serious, he’s very gentle. I felt he was the one, a great man not to be missed.”
Her father-in-law, holding the marriage certificate, looked at her, “Twenty-five, such a young age to be in a hurry for a blind date and marriage?”
- Writer
